SPJIMR Foundation Day 2025: Celebrating 44 years of academic excellence
April 17, 2025
SPJIMR marked its 44th Foundation Day with a commemorative event that celebrated the institution’s enduring legacy while reaffirming its continued commitment to influence managerial practice and promote value-based growth by advancing wise innovation at scale through teaching, thought leadership, and industry and community engagement.
Remarking, “While we honour the hard work that has brought us here, we must also fearlessly look ahead, shedding what no longer serves us and leveraging what continues to propel us forward,” Dean Varun Nagaraj analogised SPJIMR’s journey to the Roman god Janus, symbolising the importance of learning from the past to build a better future. In this spirit, the celebration featured an interesting series of sessions, beginning with the Dr. M.L. Shrikant (MLS) Memorial Lecture.
Dr. M.L. Shrikant (MLS) Memorial Lecture
This year’s lecture was delivered by Luis Miranda, Co-founder of the Indian School of Public Policy. Speaking on the theme of purpose-driven leadership, Mr. Miranda urged participants to embrace three core principles under the framework of ‘L-B-A’:
Legacy(L): He encouraged students to be conscious of both the heritage they inherit and the legacy they will leave behind. “You are a product of a fantastic institution; live a life that makes this institution proud of you,” he said.
Box of Tools (B): Referring to the knowledge, skills, and attitude (KSA) framework, Mr Miranda stressed the importance of application over acquisition. “The world will pay you for the tools, but it will remember you for the way you used them,” he noted.
Attitude (A): He highlighted the value of approaching the world with humility and a spirit of service. “Material success is important, but it can ring hollow without a sense of purpose and a spirit of service,” he added.
A retrospective with Prof. A.B. Kulkarni
Retired faculty member Prof. A.B. Kulkarni, one of SPJIMR’s founding professors, reflected on the formative years of the institute. Sharing anecdotes from his tenure, he underscored, “Most of us aren’t here just to work hard – we’re here because we truly love the work we do.”
Felicitations and Long Service Awards
SPJIMR honoured its retired colleagues and recognised long-serving members of staff through the Long Service Awards, celebrating their contributions to the institution’s values and growth.
Honouring the contributions of our retired members
Gratitude – Honouring a lifetime of dedication and excellence – Prof. Keith D Souza
Gratitude – Honouring a lifetime of dedication and excellence – Prof. Nirja Mattoo
Gratitude – Honouring a lifetime of dedication and excellence – Prof. Pallavi Mody
Gratitude – Honouring a lifetime of dedication and excellence – Prof. R. Jayaraman
Gratitude – Honouring a lifetime of dedication and excellence – Prof. Sesha Iyer
Gratitude – Honouring a lifetime of dedication and excellence – Prof. Suresh Lalwani
Gratitude – Honouring a lifetime of dedication and excellence – Prof. Prem Kumar Chandrani (did not attend)
Felicitation of retired professionals – Abbasali Gabula, Preobroto Ganguly, Sheila Kapoor, Vasanti Jayaraman, Vincent D Silva (did not attend)
Long Service Awards
Long Service Award – Anu Sebastian – 20 years
Long Service Award – Prof. Renuka Kamath – 20 years
Long Service Award – Deepali Vasant – 10 years
Long Service Award – Megha Gawde – 10 years
Long Service Award – Prof. Mihir Ajgaonkar – 10 years
Long Service Award – Pralhad Poojary – 10 years
Long Service Award – Urvija Singh – 10 years (did not attend)
Reflecting on her time at the institute, Professor Renuka Kamath, Associate Dean of Full-time Programmes, shared, “It’s been quite a journey. I was in the industry for 15 years before I decided to shift my career and come to teaching. I think one of the things about SPJIMR is — the classroom is fabulous, I’ve learned a lot from my students.”
Cultural performance: Taj Mahal ka Tender
The celebrations concluded with a lively performance of Taj Mahal ka Tender by the Indian People’s Theatre Association (IPTA). The play, led by veteran actor Rakesh Bedi, offered sharp social commentary through satire, much to the audience’s delight.
Adding a personal touch to the occasion, SPJIMR’s HR team invited the families of faculty and staff to join in the celebration. Their presence reinforced the sense of community and underscored the institute’s culture of inclusion and shared purpose.
The 44th Foundation Day celebrations served not only as a tribute to SPJIMR’s distinguished past but also as a renewed call to pursue excellence with purpose and integrity.